Alaska

Why Visit

Alaska tours present a national treasure of wilderness, wildlife and culture. You’ll forget you’re in the United States when you gaze upon the blue icebergs, calving glaciers, deep fjords and thick rainforests of Alaska’s Inside Passage, Tongass National Forest and Misty Fjords National Monument.

Among the wonders of your Alaska tour are the preserved lands of Alaska’s national parks. Denali National Park is home to the highest mountain in North America—Mount McKinley, or Denali as it’s known to the area’s natives. In this park you’ll also find hundreds of flowering plants, fascinating mammals, like caribou, Dall’s sheep, moose, wolves and grizzly bear, and 167 species of birds, like the ptarmigan and gyrfalcon. Alaska cruises are a great way to explore these unique North American landscapes and wildlife.

Glacier Bay National Park showcases glaciers, snowcapped mountains, spectacular fjords and freshwater rivers and lakes teeming with life. The park is a living laboratory for researchers of many disciplines—from geology to marine biology. Wildlife includes humpback, minke and orca whales along with harbor and Dall’s porpoises, sea otters and thousands of harbor seals. Moose and bear are often seen swimming across the bay. Thousands of sea birds and nesting songbirds will delight your eyes and ears throughout the park.

Alaska’s ABC Islands—that’s Admirality, Baranof and Chichagof—are home to marvelous fjords, native Alaskans and the largest concentration of brown bear in North America. Fish for king salmon in Chatham strait, or marvel at the awe-inspiring world of waterfalls, blue icebergs, humpbacks and orcas in Tracy Arm Fjord.

Alaska small ship cruises offer up-close encounters with spectacular scenery and wildlife—whether you’re whale watching in Frederick Sound or exploring a secluded fjord from a kayak. Activities like hiking, fishing, and caving give you hands-on experiences of this rugged natural world.

You’ll also meet descendants of the first North Americans on your Alaska tour. Alaska’s native peoples are eager to share their rich cultural heritage and traditions with visitors. Learn about the kayak, totem pole, ivory carving and more. You’ll feel at home in Petersburg, a quaint fishing town known as Alaska’s Little Norway. Visit the Tlingit Indians in Sitka, or explore Juneau, the only capital city in the U.S. not accessible by road.

Your Alaska cruise—and all the adventure you can image—awaits you!

History

The earliest North Americans were nomadic people who crossed from Asia to Alaska over an exposed land bridge in what is now the Bering Sea. These people were hunter-gathers who followed their food supply—mastodon, mammoth and caribou herds. For many years, scientists believed that this migration happened about 14,000 years ago. Recent studies using DNA evidence suggest it happened much earlier—perhaps 28,000 years ago. Carbon dating on an unearthed caribou bone with a saw-toothed edge places human presence there at least 27,000 years ago.

Alaska’s first inhabitants included four ethnic groups. The Aleuts in western Alaska were skilled mariners who hunted seal, otter and sea lion. Their economy also relied on fishing and basketry. The Inuit lived in the coastal area from Bristol Bay to Point Demarcation. They used kayaks to fish and to hunt whale, seal and walrus. They also used dogsleds on land and are known for ivory carving. The Tlingit Indians of Alaska’s southeast carved totem poles, built canoes and made baskets. They were shrewd traders who lived off the sea. The Athabasca lived in the interior where they survived on salmon fishing and hunting land animals. They made knives from stone and copper. Descendents of these early North Americans remain in their respective homelands today in significant numbers—about 15% of Alaska’s population is native.

The first Europeans to venture to Alaska were part of a Russian expedition led by Vitus Bering of Denmark, who arrived in 1741. Although Bering and most of his crew died on the return voyage, a few crew members made it back to Russia with otter skins in tow. This lead to a swarm of voyages to the area and the beginning of Alaska’s fur trade boom. Russia controlled Alaska—and much of the fur trade—until 1867 when the land was purchased by the United States. (Alaska didn’t become a state, however, until 1959.)

In the late 1800s, thousands of Americans flocked to Alaska in search of gold. More than 140,000 prospectors came from the United States and around the world with dreams of striking it rich, first in Alaska’s Klondike region and later in Nome and Fairbanks. The work was hard. Many never found gold, and few truly made their fortunes from it. Alaska’s Gold Rush had peaked by about 1906, but the “gold fever” of previous years lead to a huge spike in population and the establishment of many of Alaska’s cities and businesses.

The next major boom in Alaska was oil. In 1968, vast oil deposits were discovered on the Alaska North Slope. By 1977, the first oil arrived from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez via the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The state prospered. Today residents enjoy annual cash dividends and no personal income tax thanks to oil revenues. How to reconcile the U.S. demand for oil with the need to protect Alaska’s natural wonders remains an intense debate statewide and on a national level.

Today, much of Alaska is still inaccessible by road. Many people travel by plane or boat. Alaska’s capital city of Juneau is the only capital city in the United States that cannot be reached by road. Areas that are not sustained by oil rely on fishing. People in the more remote regions rely on each other to get through the long, dark Alaska winters.

How to Choose a Trip

Alaska is a destination that is quite difficult to explain until you’ve actually traveled to its remote bays and inlets and experienced the wildness of the region. These trips create memories that last a lifetime whether you are traveling on a solo adventure or as part of a family. There are endless photo opportunities and spontaneous wildlife encounters around every corner no matter which small ship you choose or what time of year you visit! The information below will help you consider the variety of factors that go into choosing the best trip for you.

When to TravelMany people wish to know the best time to visit this amazing destination. As a matter of fact, it is consistently one of the first questions asked. Although Alaska can be known for the endless rain and long dark days in the winter, the summertime season boasts a full array of different weather and wildlife sightings and nearly nineteen full hours of daylight in June. These guidelines below may help you narrow down what your preferences are and help you determine the best time to plan your trip based on what you are hoping to experience.

Although the weather, as always, can be unpredictable, here are some guidelines on the weather in Alaska. May and early June simply bursting with all things spring such as spectacular wildflowers and young offspring abounding both in the water and on land. Something most people don’t know is that May and June boast the lowest rainfall of the entire year as well as the highest number of sunny days. May is also an excellent time for lighter crowds. That being said, it is still important to bring a rain shell and something warm to wear in the evening no matter what time of year you visit. July and August in the Inside Passage range from 45F – 70F, and September begins to cool off with temperatures between 40F – 55F and rainfall is much more common.

For those hoping to experience the mystical Northern Lights, these are viewed best over winter, although they may be seen as early as late August and in September.

Black and Brown bears are seen from mid-May through mid-June and then again during August and September. May is a great time to see the bears as they emerge from hibernation in the mountains and may be spotted eating berries at the shoreline. This provides for excellent photo opportunities from your boat! From mid-June through July, the bears venture upstream to forage spawning salmon so they are less likely to be seen at this time.

Humpback whales can be found mid-May all the way through mid-September. Orcas, though less common, can be spotted from May to mid-June and then again mid-August through September. These and other whales such as Minke may be seen at any given time, of course, but the above reflects patterns from recent years.

Birding is at its best from mid-May to mid-June and then again from mid-August to mid-September.

Kayaking and hiking excursions may be enjoyed throughout the entire Alaska season.

Trip OptionsTrips to Southeast Alaska, operating May through mid- September, are generally 8 days in length, although some range from 7 to 22 days. Itineraries vary by trip and may include one or several days in magnificent Glacier Bay National Park, Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, or simply navigate along the Inside Passage starting or ending in Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg and/or Sitka.

Typically, the very first and last trips of the season are known as repositioning cruises, which allow vessels to relocate for a new travel season. Many of the same boats in Alaska also operate in Baja California, Hawaii, Columbia River, and California in the fall and winter months before returning to Alaska the following summer. Generally about 15 days, repositioning trips explore some of the most beautiful coastal regions of northwestern US and Canada, including the San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, and Prince Rupert, as well as Alaska’s Inside Passage. Many travelers have reported numerous Orca sightings on these trips.

Ship OptionsThere are several different styles and sizes of boats to choose from for your Alaska adventure, from smaller luxury ships carrying 22 passengers up to larger expedition vessels carrying 86 passengers. All options offer daily shore excursions, meals, and lectures. The smaller yachts will offer a more intimate experience in which you feel like you are on your own private expedition! These luxury yachts also tend to be more inclusive—port fees, taxes, and alcoholic beverages included onboard—and offer fabulous cuisine and private airport transfers by limo. The larger expedition ships tend to offer basic accommodations, though still comfortable, and great education programs, and sea kayaking options. Some ships even provide an onboard massage therapist onboard (additional fee), yoga classes as well as additional adventure options like snorkeling, fishing, camping, and paddle boarding.

Land Extensions – Denali National Park and Kenai PeninsulaIf you some extra time and are looking for a well-rounded Alaska experience, many travelers add on a four or five-day land trip that visits Denali or the Kenai Peninsula. There are several different amazing options we can arrange for you that afford the chance to visit the true backcountry of wild Alaska. Each of our extensions offer more wildlife viewing as well as opportunities for fishing, mountain biking, extended guided hikes, boat rides through the fjords, helicopter flight seeing over the Arctic Circle, and scenic train rides to and from Anchorage or Fairbanks.

Let us help youPlanning a trip to Alaska is exciting yet you may find yourself considering two or more trips that seem right for you. Let ExpeditionTrips take the guesswork out of selecting your Alaska trip. Our company is a crossroads for information and we can help you select the trip that will offer the kind of experience you are seeking. We’ll help you select the perfect trip for your journey to the "last frontier"!